How to Store Topical Antioxidants

A viewer asked whether purchasing topical antioxidants in jars lower their effectiveness. The short answer is that IF the jar or bottle is clear, or allows any light to pass through it, then the light will reduce the effectiveness of the antioxidant. And that occurs for the same reason that I strongly recommend applying topical antioxidants only at bedtime and not during the day.

Remember, antioxidants help to protect your skin from damaging UV and free radicals by the antioxidants themselves absorbing dangerous energy inside the cells so it can’t destroy the DNA, cell membranes and other vital parts of your skin cells. But when those antioxidants protect you by absorbing that bad energy, the antioxidants are destroyed in the process.

When antioxidants get destroyed by absorbing bad energy, they don’t know whether they’re inside your skin where of course they need to be, or whether they’re on the surface of your skin, or even in their bottle: all they know is to act like a sponge to absorb bad energy and in the process get destroyed.

So if your antioxidant is in any container that allows light in, the UV will destroy some of the antioxidant and weaken it. Over time it can lose almost all of its potency. And for the same reason, if the UV hits the antioxidants on your skin during the day before it absorbs into your skin, then while it may increase your sun protection slightly, the antioxidant is ruined before it can get into your cells to do its vital job. That’s exactly why you should always apply them at night.

So when it comes to purchasing topical antioxidants, make sure it’s in an opaque container that blocks light, and for them to be as effective as possible, also make sure to apply them at nighttime.

Recently a viewer asked if antioxidants stored in jars can keep their potency. This brought up a great topic: What is the best way to store your antioxidants? In this episode of DermTV, Dr. Schultz answers this question.